Automobile window sash and screen assembly



Sept.. 1, 1953 B. A. LANGE AUToMoBILE WINDOW sAsH AND vscRrazxsu/x ASSEMBLY File Feby. 14, 1952 INVENTOR BERNARD A LANGE ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 1, 1953 AUTOMOBILE WINDOW SASH AND SCREEN ASSEMBLY Bernard A. Lange, Brantwood, Wis., assigner of one-half to Everette Steele, Brantwood, Wis.

Application February 14, 1952, Serial No. 271,530

1 Claim.

This invention appertains to automobiles and more particularly to a novel window construction therefor.

One of the primary objects of this invention, is to provide means for incorporating a sliding window screen in an automobile door or the like, with means for raising and lowering the screen from the inside of the automobile, so that upon the lowering of the sash glass for ventilation entrance of insects into the body of the automobile will be prevented as well as the entrance of unauthorized persons during parking and the like.

Another salient object of the invention is the provision of novel means for operating the sash glass and the window screen and for incorporating such operating means in an automobile door in such a manner that a compact and durable construction will be had, and whereby the operating means for the screen will not interfere with the operating means for the glass.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for operating the sash glass and the screen from one side of the door with novel anti-friction rollers on the other side of the door for engaging the glass and screen, so that binding of the glass and screen in their guide channels is prevented, and whereby easy raising and lowering of the glass and screen is assured,

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, ar-

rangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specically described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which drawing,

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the inner side of an automobile door, parts of the view being shown broken away and in section, to illustrate structural detail.

Figure 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on the line '2 2 of Figure l, looking .in the direction of the arrows illustrating a part of the operating mechanism for the glass sash and the window screen and the roller guides therefor.

Figure 3 isra fragmentary vertical sectional view through the door ,taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows illustrating the operating means for the sash glass.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, but taken on the line 44 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows and illustrating the operating means for the screen.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail horizontal sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter D indicates a door of the general construen tion now commonly found in automobiles. The door D, however, includes certain novel features,

, as will be later set forth. As illustrated, the

door is of a hollow construction having a window opening l! and a well or pocket II foi` receiving the sash glass I2, when the glass is in a lowered position.

In accordance with the invention, I also proyvide a sliding screen I3 for the window opening Iii, whereby the opening is adequately protected when the glass I2 is in a lowered position for ventilation. The opposite sides of the window opening are provided with stiles I4 and I5 which extend down into the well II. The stiles I4 and I5 are each provided with vertical channels I6 and I'I for guiding respectively, the glass I?. and the screen I3, during the raising and lowering thereof. Stops I8 can be arranged in the channels for limiting the downward movement of the sash glass i2 and the screen I3. One of the important features of the invention, as heretofore set forth is the provision of a novel operating means for the sash glass and a novel operating means for the screen, so that such operating means can be easily incorporated within an automobile door and sothat the two operating means will not interfere one with the other. The operating means for the sash glass I2 includes a vertically extending rack bar I9 fastened to one vertical edge of the glass, and it is to be noted that this rack bar I9 extends a distance below the lower edge of the glass. The rack bar I9 can be fastened to the glass I2 in different manners, but I prefer to utilize a fastening strip 2Q of a substantially H-shape in cross-section. One vertical edge of the glass is pressed into one side of the strip and is suitably padded by a rubber cushion 2l, and the glass can be secured to the cushion by an adhesive and the cushion in turn, if such should be desired, can be adhesively connected to the strip. The outer side of the strip receives the rack bar I9 and countersunk rivets 22 can be utilized for rigidly securing the rack bar at spaced points to the strip. Just below the window opening I0 and at one side thereof, the door rotatably carries a shaft 23 and the opposite panels of the door can carry suitable bearings for this shaft. The inner end of the shaft protrudes through the inner face of the door and has secured thereto an operating crank 24, whereby the shaft can be rotated. Keyed, or otherwise fastened, to the shaft within the hollow door is a spur gear or pinion 25, which meshes with the teeth of the rack bar, and it is to be noted that the wall of the channel IG of the stile I 4, is slotted so that the gear or pinion can project into the channel I3 for meshing engagement with the rack. Obviously,` by turning the crank 24, the glass I2 can be raised or lowered.

Now, referring to the screen I3, the same is preferably woven from copper or brass wire toform a ne mesh so as to prevent the entrance: of insects into the automobile when the screen is in a raised position and the sash glass in a lowered position. The wire mesh is protected by a marginal reinforcement and this preferably includes inner and outer companion open framesl 23 and 2'I which receive the woven wire therebetween. The wire and frames are rmly united by countersunk rivets 28, and these frames on one side receive therebetween a vertically extending rack bar 2E! and the rivets 23 secure the rack bar 29 in place. Attention is also directed to the fact that the rack bar 29 extends below the lower edge of the screen I3. The rack bar 29 is preferably of a T-shape in cross-section, as is best shown in Figures 2 and 5. This rack bar forms a part or" the operating mechanism for the screen I3. To operate the screen I3 without interfering with the operating mechanism for the sash glass, I providean operating pinion or gear 39, which meshes with the teeth of the rack bar 2S. The channel I7 of the stile I4 is slotted to permit this gear or pinion 39 to extend into the channel for engaging the rack bar. The gear or pinion is keyed to a rotatable shaft 3| mounted in suitable bearings formed on the inner faces of the inner and outer panels of the door. Below the shaft 3I and at one ,side thereof is an operating shaft 32 and this shaft is also mounted in suitable bearings carried by the door and the shaft extends through the inner face of the door and has securely fastened thereto an operating crank 33. A train of gearing 34 operatively connects the shaft 32 with the pinion or gear 3i, and as illustrated, I provide two spaced Vidle shafts 35 and 36 between the shafts 3! and The shafts 35 and 35 are mounted in bear- 32. ings carried by the door. Keyed, or otherwise fastened to the shaft 32, is an operating spur gear 31, and this spur gearl meshes with a gear 33 on the shaft 35. rI'he gear 38 in turn meshes with a gear 39 on shaft 35 and this gear meshes with the operating gear or pinion for the rack bar 23. It is to be noted that the shafts 32, and 3S are in vertical alignment while the shaft 3I is at one side of the shafts. By providing the train of gearing 34, the operating crank 33 is disposed a lsufficient distance from vthe operating crank 24 so that one crank will not interfere with the other.

As the sash glass I2 and the screen I3 are operated from one side thereof, there might be a -tendency for the sash glass and screen to tilt.

and bind in their channels. To eliminate this, I arrange in the stile I5, a plurality of spaced shafts e9 carrying rubber rollers 4I. As best shown in Figure 2, there are two rollers on each shaft and the channels I6 and I'I of the stile I5 are slotted so that the rollers 4I can project into the channels I6 and II for engaging the vertical edges of the glass I2 and the screen I3 opposite to the vertical edges carrying the rack bars I9 and 29.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that I have provided an effective means of a compact'order for raising and lowering a sash glass and a screen for the window opening of an automobile door.

The channels for the glass and screen may be provided with felt weather resistant guides, if such should be desired.

Changes in details may be made without departing .from the spirit or the scope of this invention, but what I claim as new is:

In an automobile door having a window opening therein and a well below the opening, side Stiles for the window opening extending into the well, each having spaced guide channels, a sash glass and a screen slidably mounted in the channels and movable into the well to an open position and into the window opening in their closed position, the glass and the screen each having a vertical rack bar secured to one edge thereof on the same side of the Window, said channels on the other side of the window each having a series of vertically spaced aligned slots therein, a series of spaced rotatably mounted transverse shafts carried by the door, each shaft positioned behind a pair of the horizontally aligned slots, antifriction rollers secured to each shaft on the other .side of the window extending into a respective slot and engaging the edges of the glass and screen opposite to the edges carrying the rack bars, said Window guide channel having a slot therein on the side opposite the vertically spaced slots, an operating shaft carried by the door having a pinion extendinginto said last mentioned slot and meshing with the rack bar for the glass, an operating crank for the shaft arranged on the inside of the door, an operating shaft rotatably carried by the door disposed a considerable distance below the rst operating shaft, an operating crank therefor, said screen guide channel having a slot on the side opposite the vertically spaced slots and positioned below the last menitioned window channel slot, an actuating shaft carried by the door disposed between thementioned operating shafts having a pinion extending into the screen channel slot and engaging the rack for the screen, and a train of gearing operatively connecting the second mentioned operating shaft with the pinion of the actuating shaft.

BERNARD A. LANGE.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

